Tired, my eyes are heavy, but I’m feeling good. Life is a good pace right now, a good mix of stuff, not too busy, not too quiet. Spending a lot of time on the computer, booking demos for the year. My Canadian Tour is coming along nicely, schools are starting to confirm, and there is a bike shop show almost every weekend. It sounds like I might be performing at the Toronto Ride to Conquer Cancer event too, which should be amazing.

I just taught a yoga class tonight. A one hour long vinyasa flow for the locals in our townhouse community. Teaching yoga feels right, it is so challenging, there is so much to learn, I am so exciting to keep progressing so I can offer more and more to the classes I am in front of.

Sitting next to my lovely wife in the office at our home. She is blasting a brand new Xavier Rudd song on her computer, can’t wait for the new album to come out. The song is called Time to Smile, check it out!

Tomorrow is busy, so I have to keep this post brief, and un-edited. I have a meeting in Vancouver first thing in the morning for which I’ll be riding my bike most of the way, then I have a Trials of Life performance at a local school that I have to race back for. I am pumped on school presentation this year, and want to give it my all and start adjusting and modifying my message as my Canadian Tour approaches. After the presentation I have to drop my trailer off and get ready to teach another yoga class at Trailside Physio for some friends and their running group. Should be home by 10pm. A full day, and a challenging day. I’m looking forward to it.

Much gratitude and love,

Ryan

September whizzed by, and Fall, is well, already fall’ing away, in a great way though. The leaves are starting to turn, the air is clean and crisp, the weather is unpredictable, and the light is shining through in ways that make photographers and nature lovers really excited.

Caryn went off with the family to the apple barn, I took the day to get some work done, and thought I’d pause to write a quick blog post. I have a lovely cup of cream earl gray tea, and I hope to post this blurb by the time it’s done.

A few projects on the go right now. One is some preparatory work on another Canadian Trials-of-Life school tour in the Spring of 2010. It’s the kind of thing to get on top of right way, because 2010 will be here before we know it. I really can’t seem to come up with any project that feels ‘as-right’ as doing another school tour. I have a limited amount of time where I can engage students through the skills I have on the bike, so I better take advantage of that with some skillful words of advice and of course have some fun along the way.

I am taking a coaching course that starts in November through Integral Coaching Canada. I’m really excited about it, and so I have been doing some pre-course homework and reading.

Then there is yoga, I’m trying to arrange as many yoga classes as I can to build experience, it’s a long an exciting journey of learning that will never end, I think that’s why I’m so drawn to it. Today though, I took 90 minutes outside on my back deck to practice solo. Just me, the fresh air, the sunshine, the falling helicopter maple tree seeds, and a glorious savasana with a well worked body. The feeling is hard to convey, but it is precisely the one I want to share by becoming a yoga instructor.

I rode to the store today as we’re having a friend and some family over for dinner; picked up some corn, some BC wine, and some beautiful looking fresh BC spring salmon. Yummy.

Hmm, my tea is already getting low, probably something to do with me gulping it down

I hope the weekend is treating you well. Have fun!

Yesterday, after some trials shows in 100 Mile House, BC, I raced home to check out the new ‘Trials of Life Platform’ being installed in the Port Moody trials park by Mr. Jay Hoots and his mate Owen. When I arrived they were just finishing up because they had run out of materials…so they invited me on a ride! I made a quick stop at home to grab my Fluid LT and riding gear, dropped my demo trailer off, and raced to meet them at Mt. Seymour for a rip.

(Owen, Myself, Jay; on the almost complete practice platform of varying heights)

Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of shuttling. I tend to like climbs, especially technical challenging ones. I like to get a workout and earn my downhills, I like being warm at the top before I slam my saddle down for a DH, I also like the bonus that you use an extra bit of food fuel instead of fossil fuel…..BUT, when you have the chance to hang with Jay and to chase him down a trail, how can you say no! Shuttling has it’s place, and last night, racing to the trail before sundown, was one of those times. 

The ironic thing is, that Jay and I are doing a stage of the BC Bike Race together, so we really need to get some mileage in legs. So we decided to meet today nice and early, again Seymour, but we raised our saddles and with some caffein racing through our bodies, we raced on up the trail. A good three hours later, we were pretty spent. We have some (a lot of!) work to do in order to complete the 65km stage in Squamish…did I mention I’m planning to do a trials demo right after I finish that stage!

I did some yoga this afternoon too. I usually try to practice outside this time of year, but today was wet and cold, so I decided to just put on one of Eoin Finn’s DVD’s, and did a routine called Strong, Free, and Happy. I’m thoroughly tired now so I think I’ll go fall asleep to the sound of falling rain…

One of the great things about staying in downtown Toronto is the food. Last night, I had a green curry dish at a Thai restaurant that was a 2 minute walk away; and I just finished enjoying some fine Indian Cuisine at Bombay Palace, about 90 seconds away. I had the traditional vegetarian meal for one, some many incredible flavors! My belly is happy. I’ve been reading a book called “Flow”, and here’s a few lines I read yesterday on the plane that are now appropriate:

“As long as one strives to become a gourmet or a connoisseur of wines because it is the “in” thing to do, striving to master an externally imposed challenge, then taste may easily turn sour. But a cultivated palate provides many opportunities for flow if one approaches eating—and cooking—in a spirit of adventure and curiosity, exploring the potentials of food for the sake of the experience rather than as a showcase for one’s expertise.”

Yesterday I woke up to snow in Vancouver; the 40 minutes drive to the airport took 2 1/2 hours because, as the Quebecois guy at the airport explained “just two centimeters of snow and the city went crazy”. But what was weirder is that Toronto is grey, and wet, just how Vancouver is supposed to be?

Today I visited Glenforest Secondary School is Mississauga to give a Trials of Life presentation. It was one of two winning schools from the contest I held on PinkBike.com. Since it was a free presentation, they school took the initiative to raise some funds for their bike club, and also a cause of my choosing, which was the David Suzuki Foundation. Thanks Guys!

I noticed a yoga studio when walking about, again, it’s like 2 minutes away; I think I’ll go grab a little hatha class to finish off the day.

Ride on!

First off, I’d like to send my best wishes for 2009. I hope that this fresh year brings new adventures and experiences, I hope it keeps you challenged and on your toes, and I trust it will leave you some time to enjoy the quiet moments away from the rush of the daily bustle.

I want to share with you an imaginary retrospective of 2009. So I am going to jump ahead one year and recap what is yet to come…

Where did the year 2009 go? Seems to have just flown by!! As I get older (yup, turned 30 this year), the years seem to just fly by. Another 100 shows under my belt, and I am anticipating at least that many in 2010.

I have more balance than I did a year ago, and no, I’m not talking about on the bike this time! It’s a feeling I want to have every New Year. Complacency doesn’t work for me; I am insatiably curious, and have a new appetite for learning-I suppose it’s the same tendency that gave me the patience to learn how to ride trials, and it’s a trait that I am trying to apply elsewhere in the journey through life. The problem is that my interests are so broad; it’s hard to focus on just one thing!

One area that I did manage to focus on this year was yoga. Trials riding is inherently hard on the body. The forces to absorb are quite jarring, and the cumulative effect over a period of about 15 years is enough to make any human walk awkwardly, and perhaps with a dowagers hump. I have to credit my yoga practice to saving my posture, and many bodily aches and pains, particularly my back. Ashtanga (power) yoga has been so beneficial in so many facets of my life, so like anything good, I was impelled to share it. After 200 hours of yoga teacher training, and many embarrassing moments practicing on my patient friends, I managed to teach some yoga at a couple of late season cycling events-and there will be more to come in 2010.

I spent much of the year preparing to write a book; as my friend Dr. Coope told me, I must “review the literature” before proceeding to put word to screen. And the amount of literature on the subject is huge-that subject being the mental and psychological aspect of sport, along with various offshoots such as climate change (thank God 2009 was the year that most deniers finally got over their denial). My ambition for publishing something for the end of ‘09 was perhaps a little overzealous, and I’m just happy to have had the education that comes with such an initiative. We’ll see which way all this research leads me, whether it is a book, or a workshop, or who knows! There are so many opportunities to create new directions for ones career.

Although I didn’t progress my riding skills at the same pace as I have in the past, my desire to perform trials shows remained surprisingly high. Although the number of shows I performed in 2009 was down while I was busy ‘broadening my horizons’ I still have no better way to captivate and connect with people than through my trials shows. Along with my demonstration rhetoric, and poster signing, the buzz and reward I feel after a show remains just as high as ever.

I was glad to visit over 25 schools this year with my Trials of Life presentation. We live in complex times; the amount of ambient noise that our culture creates is so immense that it has become hard for young individuals to listen to their heart. There is great opportunity in the world today, despite the headlines; but we have much work to do in order to create the bright green future that is so desperately needed.

It’s hard to remember all the amazing times I’ve had this year, whether it be the career action as mentioned above, or during the free time I spend with my family and friends-Caryn, my love, thanks for another awesome year together, our rings are now almost seven years old!

I truly am blessed and grateful. 

Peace and Love for 2010!

Ryan Leech

My filmmaker friend Alex Lavigne filmed and edited together a short from one of my Trials of Life school presentations. He had some out takes from Crux that didn’t make the final film, they’re spliced in throughout the short. Have a look if you like:

I’m sitting on the deck of my hotel room in Salmon Arm, BC, overlooking a bird sanctuary and marsh on the edge of the Shuswap Lake. I have been here for the the last four days, and have enjoyed watching the female osprey warm her eggs. She has no friends to meet, places to go, just a quiet commitment to her babies. The male comes and goes with sticks for the nest and food, although I haven’t seen the food exchange yet. A peaceful sight no doubt. As I also enjoy my Timmies steeped tea in the (finally) warm breeze, I feel my feet aching a bit, my hands feel a bit raw, and there is an general feeling of contentment and satisfaction from the weeks efforts. I visited 7 schools and did 9 presentations in four days, and have one last shop show in the area tomorrow at Skookum Cycle. Whew!

 

I often have students or teachers ask where I came up with the material I present, and I guess it’s a combination of reflection on my experiences combined with the critical thinking that goes along with reading books….yah, I’ve turned in to a bit of a nerd. I have had a few people ask if I have read or seen ‘The Secret’; I have fingered through the book out of curiosity, but am not convinced by some of the offerings, the main one being, and the real basis of the book, is that you create your own reality with your thoughts, or the law of attraction. For instance if you get raped it is because your thought patterns brought it about; now I have to disagree with that because crappy things do happen to good people. Sure there are some great things expressed in the book, but the suggestion that if you can keep only thoughts of being rich, that is what you will become…hmm, so does that go for those living in 3rd world countries? If you have read this book, but have a sort of funny feeling about it, I recommend reading this review by Julian Walker, or listening to the dialogue he had with Ken Wilber about the book.

 

I’m looking forward to spinning a bit on a cross country ride tomorrow before my show, it’ll be nice to mix it up a bit after so many trials shows. Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

 

 

 

 

Yesterday afternoon was my last show in Maine, and it was a public show, and it took place in the Camden Opera House. This beautiful venue was perfect for the event which included the showing of Manifesto, Trial and Error, and Crux; then a live demo, and a Q&A session to follow. The whole event was about 2 hours long; that’s a whole lotta Ryan time!

 

The best part of this trip was meeting and hanging out with so many great people. From Chris Christie the owner of Bikesenjava who thought of and organized the whole tour, to Ian who built all the demo obstacles, to Andrew who took care of the bike shop while Chris took me around, to Karl and John who both took a week of holiday to help set up and tear down, and drive the trailer; Chuck, Tanya, Gabe, Andy, Woody, and Steve for also helping with set up, Jeff at the snow bowl for helping with the Opera House venue, and Kaarie and Hayden who hosted us at their house; hopefully I didn’t miss too many names! The capacity of these Mainers to give their time for this tour was incredible; and I think it ultimately says a lot for a community that is willing to put others (in this case the students of the schools and cycling enthusiasts) ahead of their own needs that brings a community together, and ultimately creates a friendly neighborhood where good things can happen. For instance, it was rare that I saw anyone lock their vehicle, even if it had a bike in the back. The pace of life is rather laid back in mid coast Maine, yet everyone certainly knows the value of hard work. No trip to the Maine coast is complete without eating some local lobster, so Chris got the whole crew together for a cook up, very nice!!

 

I arrived home last night, (Caryn and I counted six Starbucks from gate to gate during our layover in the Chicago airport) and now sit in a hotel after a seven hour drive up to Revelstoke, BC, where I start the next week of schools which will consist of nine T.O.L. presentations and one bike shop show, whew!!

 

Go Barak, Peace Y’all,

 

Ryan

A few days ago I stopped in Williams Lake, BC while on tour and got chatting with a mountain biker who works for the Boys and Girls Club. Through the last decade or so he has been taking kids on mountain bike rides and getting them hooked on the sport. He invests his time with these kids, he hangs out with them, teaches them, and is real with them. He gets them in to the mountains on camping/bike trips so they can experience Nature. He has fun with them.

He was telling me that he has now been doing this for long enough to see kids that have gone from stealing cars as young lads to being hooked on riding, then on to making decent lives for themselves in the ‘real world’. How cool is that.

Another story the local bike shop owner in Smithers told me was of the ski coach in town; he had run an ski club for years and coached so many young athletes through the years. His title was perhaps ski coach, but in reality, his most important contribution was as a role model. Tragically he passed away from health issues, and at his funeral, they opened the floor up, and 30+ of his former club members came up and gave accounts on how much of a positive difference this man made in their lives.

These two examples are of people who invested their time with youth, and built relationships with them; they are incredible role models even if they don’t think themselves to be.

I endeavor to be a positive role model for the younger generation too, but my method is quite different from above. I tent to interact with large numbers of youth for a very short time. The interaction is often one way (me talking to them) whether it be at a 15 minutes long show, or an hour long school presentation; sometimes I get to know a student or two that help me set up, and again, that is very short lived. Or maybe I go on a mountain bike ride with a school group, and hang out with them for a bit, again, very brief. I am hopeful these brief interactions are inspirational in some way , otherwise I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing; but I’m curious as to whether speaking to large groups of students for shorter periods is as beneficial compared to spending a longer time with just a few individual students. I know the circumstances and values of each approach are unique and both offer positives, but nonetheless I’m curious. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

I am sitting here in the McBike Shop in Smithers, BC, catching up on some e-mail after presenting at two schools today, one high school and one elementary.

So depending on the age of the students, I change some of my speech and the tone in which I present. But for the younger grades, I imagine much of what I say goes right over their heads. That doesn’t worry me too much though, I think it’s my actions, and the way I present myself that does translate through for them. It is much like parenting I guess, no matter how often and firmly you tell your children something that you don’t do yourself; they won’t adopt the lesson.  The ‘ol ‘do as I say, not as I do’ adage.

On a totally different note, Caryn and I just finished renovating our bathroom, so we were without a shower in the house for about a month, so it wasn’t so convenient to have a quick shower whenever we wanted. During this time I think I averaged about 3 showers a week! As far as I know I’m not offending anybody with terrible body odor, nor do I all of a sudden appear scruffy to those I interact with during the day (except when I don’t shave), so I started thinking about the necessity of showering…..can’t believe I’m blogging about showers…

Most people I know shower once a day, and I know plenty of people that actually have to shower to wake up in the morning, then again later on to wash the days grime away. Whew! Back 50 years ago or more, the story was different, the odd bath here and there was all that was needed. For active people like you and myself, we have to be careful; a hard day of working out or a messy mountain bike ride, and a quick shower is a good thing. But it seems we have become a shower-crazed society, so I thought I’d come up with just a few reasons to perhaps skip a shower or two:

-an average shower uses 160 Liters of water

-it takes a lot of energy to heat all that water

- it takes a lot of commercial product to wash skin and hair that probably doesn’t need washing day in and day out

-your body has to work overtime to produce oils for the skin only to be washed off over and over again, skin can get rather dry this way….but of course you can buy product to solve that problem…

-all that product goes down the drain

-that extra half hour you save can be used to work on your wheelies outside the front door

That concludes my shower blurb….more from my BC road trip soon.